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The Government of Saskatchewan has partnered with Bell Canada on a 300 megawatt data centre project just outside of Regina.
Construction on the facility in the RM of Sherwood is expected to begin this spring, with the first stage of the centre expected to be up and running in the first half of 2027.
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“This project is Bell’s largest-ever investment in Saskatchewan – an unprecedented commitment to Saskatchewan’s technology ecosystem that places the province at the centre of Canada’s AI-driven economic growth,” the company and provincial government said in a joint statement.
“Once complete, it will be the largest purpose-built AI data centre development anywhere in Canada.”
The centre is expected to generate as much as $12 billion in economic value for the province over time, the two groups noted in their statement, through job creation, tax revenues and broader benefits to the economy. The centre will have at least 80 full-time employees, with Bell noting that its research indicates as many as 750 additional jobs could result from the creation of the centre.
“The announcement of this facility is great news for Saskatchewan’s economy,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in the joint statement.
“This investment by Bell will create jobs, strengthen provincial research capacity, and facilitate the creation of new businesses built on advanced capabilities.”
Bell noted that the data centre is expected to bring benefits to Canadian governments, researchers and the private sector, as well as SaskTel customers.
“Importantly, a significant portion of the facility’s power will be dedicated to sovereign AI compute, ensuring that government agencies, researchers and enterprises in Canada can access top-tier AI power while guaranteeing their data remains within Canada, meeting strict chain-of-custody and residency requirements,” the joint statement read.
“The facility will be linked to Bell’s national fibre backbone through a partnership with SaskTel. Together, Bell and SaskTel will act as go-to-market partners, offering AI-powered products and solutions to SaskTel customers.”
As part of the partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan, Bell said it will support “strategic AI uses cases” for postsecondary institution, municipalities and the province’s public sector, while also exploring opportunities to work with students and staff at the universities of Saskatchewan and Regina. Bell has also formed an agreement with the George Gordon First Nation “with a focus on Indigenous procurement participation and workforce development.”
While some have raised concerns about the data centre’s potential effects on Regina’s water supply, the joint statement noted that the centre will use “a closed-loop cooling system” that doesn’t draw from the municipal water supply. Bell noted that “advanced discussions” around recycling the waste heat from the centre are also underway.
“Today’s announcement is an exciting illustration of the impact of Bell’s strategic priority to lead in enterprise with AI-powered solutions,” Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Canada, said in the joint statement.
“Our largest-ever investment in Saskatchewan will deliver the cutting-edge, high-performance compute necessary to innovate at speed, bring major economic benefits to the province and create a competitive advantage for our country. We’re thrilled to partner with the Government of Saskatchewan to ensure Canada can compete and win in the AI economy.”
The provincial government said Saskatchewan Crown corporations are supporting the project in several ways. SaskPower has already begun work on the transmission connections, while SaskTel’s fibre optic network will connect to the facility and SaskEnergy will develop the gas infrastructure for Bell’s on-site power generation, including the creation of a new high-pressure pipeline and a high-volume meter station.
“In addition, SaskTel and Bell will explore collaboration options regarding the development and delivery of AI powered products and services,” the province noted.
John Bailey, CEO of Economic Development Regina, said he’s pleased to see the data centre being developed close to the city.
“I think it’s a good news story, because it does show that Regina is open for business,” he told the Evan Bray Show. “A lot of those jobs are going to go to folks in our community, so that’s a really positive thing.”
Bailey said his organization will work on collecting more information to help City of Regina staff and administration make informed decisions going forward.
